Cafe Du Jour

What a cute find!
I’ve probably driven past this place 500 times and never noticed it. A friend of ours had told us about it and we decided to go this past weekend. I think what I like is that there are open tables because the chef really only seats the amount of people he can handle cooking for. It felt very personal in a way. The back patio is adorable and everything was quaint and peaceful.
Food: everything was really good. We started with a cheese dish that was served hot with apples and brown sugar and love. It was delicious.
We also had the Steak and the stuffed eggplant. The eggplant was great!!! Steak (cooked medium rare as requested) was a tad bit too chewy but still had great flavors.
My biggest gripe would be the cash only. I totally understand cash only when checks are under the $ 50 range but it’s pretty easy to spend around $ 100 here and to me that’s a lot of cash to ask someone to bring. But since I love the personal level I can’t complain too much.
ALSO BYOB $ 2 PER PERSON SO BRING A BOTTLE OR THREE!

Outstanding service and outstanding food!!!

This place is such a rare gem. I’ve been blown away by Paul’s food many times over the years! Matt is one of the best servers I’ve ever encountered as well. We’ve held both my birthday and bachelorette dinner at their restaurant and I couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome! Thanks for always taking such great care of us! See you soon!

I have heard great things about this place for years, and I finally had to opportunity to learn what the hype was about! The back patio is so quaint and cute, and a great romantic spot. We ordered several small plates, and the food was incredible! The server was excellent– very professional, yet fun and friendly. One of the great perks is that it is byob, so you can have a high quality meal for such a reasonable price, since you aren’t overpaying for alcohol. I cannot wait to return next time I am in town! Heads up that is it cash only– but worth the trip to the ATM (which I have never said before!)

This is a adorable small BYOB place with AMAZING food! I can not wait to go again, particularly in summer when they open their veranda! We began with several appetizers that were the specials of the night, and I purchased the New York Strip Steak as an entrée and it was to die for! My buddy had the Roasted Eggplant with Mozzarella and it was also really great! The service was quite attentive and friendly and the place was only adorable! It is a great spot of a date or a smaller group.

I loved this place — the food was excellent, the portions were good, and the service was also very good. I do have to reiterate something that some one else said — the ventilation over the range/​cooking area is very poor. The kitchen is totally open to the small dining room, and I turned around at one point to see a cloud of smoke. Nothing was burning — it was just slowly accumulating. There is a very cute outdoor area, and I think that this would be a great place to eat outside in warmer temperatures — but I went in the winter. When we got home, we reeked of the restaurant — but that is really the only disappointment to the whole dinner.
In a nutshell: BYOB, cash only, plan to eat outside.

Amazing little BYOB restaurant tucked away near the BP on East Carson Street. I have been here multiple times with groups as large as 20 and they are so consistent, every time I leave wondering how soon I can come back. They do amazing appetizers, my favorites being the crostini with pork (I order mine without), Brie, spiced apple butter, and arugula, and the spinach and pecorino dip with marinated tomatoes and basil served pipping hot with steaming hot baguette… unbelievable. The spinach dip is so creamy, warm and delicious, it could be eaten by the spoonful. All their entrees are so fabulous. Being as I’m a vegetarian I’ve had a select few entrees, but the rolled eggplant filled with fresh mozzarella, sundried tomatoes and a pester cream sauce is divine! Entrees are served with soup or salad. They have a light but delicious vegetarian mushroom soup loaded with wild mushrooms and a great homemade poppy seed dressing served with their house salads. I have never eaten one bad thing here. Love this restaurant and continuously recommend it to friends and family. Be aware it is cash only. Oh and the corkage fee is only $ 2 per person, can’t beat that!

I just had a wonderful dinner here last night with some old dear friends. I used to come here twice a year but have not been for a couple of years. I’m reminded that this is one of the best kept secrets in Pittsburgh. It’s as close to getting a little bit of Europe’s small proprietor owned/​run bistros charm/​flavor in Pittsburgh. Bring your favorite wine and enjoy a wonderful evening.

The food is good, the place cute, a romantic setting for a date night and yes, have the spinach dip.

Quite honestly I was disappointed with Café Du Jour. The space is uneventful with no real charm or distinct decoration. The kitchen is in the front of the house so you can watch them cooking, however, there is little to no ventilation so once the chef gets on a roll the place is full of smoke and grill smell. Myself and two people I was dining with actually had to leave for a bit just to catch some fresh air. My contacts were killing me and my clothes definitely absorbed everything.
It’s obvious the chef here has had some real training. The food came out slowly but was presented beautifully. I only ordered an appetizer and it was fine. Our group shared some spinach dip that was tasty.
Café Du Jour is BYOB and the corking fee is $ 2/​person. I’d like to come back when the weather is nice and sit outside and give this place another shot because I think it has real potential.

I was very excited to try a new place out in Southside and if you blink you could miss it. Very small and cozy instead and I recommend making a reservation. We went with a larger party of 8 on a Thursday night and were only 1 of 2 tables the entire night. It was pretty nice to have the whole place almost to ourselves. It is BYOB and they are up front about charging $ 2 per person which I think is very reasonable. We started off with 2 orders of the spinach and artichoke dip served with warm bread which was delicious. The only issue was it did not come with enough bread and it took a very long time to get more bread after asking. For my entrée I went with the pork that came with a honey glaze and mustard. It was served with a twice baked potatoes and salad with cucumbers, onion and blue cheese. The dish looked beautiful and tasted just as good. Others in my party ordered the salmon and eggplant entrees which all got rave reviews. If you order the chicken you get enough to serve an entire family! The staff was very nice but it was a little slow service. My only other complaint is the kitchen is in the main room as the seating area and it got so smoky instead while they were cooking. Overall we had a nice meal and enjoyed numerous bottles of wine!

Great food. Intimate environment. My only complaint is that they should expand. Too many overlook this gem because of the size.

I proposed to my fiancé here and they did a great job. Gave us a prime spot by the fountain, brought us some special plates throughout the meal and even helped with the actual proposal.
The food and service were phenomenal. The spinach dip starter was delicious and I’m not usually a fan.

The food is outstanding, I have to ask myself «Am I in Pittsburgh?» The food is as good as I’ve had on the island of St. Maarten /​St. Martin which is the restaurant capital of the Caribbean. It is exceptionally good, affordable and I loved that it is a BYOB. Paul is an excellent Chef. Kudos to Paul. If you’ve not been, make a reservation and try it. Reservations are necessary. I look forward to returning again and again.

It’s Bring your own booze. And it fits perfectly with the atmosphere you will have.
I recommend going to this restaurant when is it a beautiful day and/​or night. I would request the table right by the fountain. When you have your wine, and your significant other. It removes any nonsense from your life. The only thing that matters is the person in front of you. Or the people all around you at one table.
I enjoyed their small menu because it shows that they care about the quality of the food. And ladies and gentlemen, the food is da boomb! I recommend the small plate of meatballs. It will change your life. The complimentary bread they serve is exceptional.
My one tiny grip is it’s missing some nice piano music.

The courtyard is a wonderful lovely venue for outdoor dining. It is small and quaint for one of our good-​weather days this summer. On this particular Tuesday evening we had a 6:15pm reservation for four and it was not crowded inside or out so I’m feeling very lucky.
Our server was gracious and helpful and not intrusive. The menu selections offered a nice variety for carnivores and vegetarians with some of the options being salmon, chicken, pork chop, and eggplant. This evening, one of the special salads had watermelon, tomatoes, and avocado as ingredients and I ordered that along with the pork chop. The salad was so refreshing and both the salad and pork chop had an eye-​appealing presentation. My pork chop was thick, succulent, and moist.
This is an excellent choice for an intimate dining experience.
The only downside is that it is BYOB and it is cash only. Thank goodness our friends joining us tipped us off to those facts in advance. Thus, the 4 star review instead of 5.

SETTING:
Small establishment with inside seating by an open kitchen or seating in their quaint garden area in the back. Mostly for parties of two.
FOOD:
Started with the spinach dip, which came with a warm french baguette. Never have I had a dip with such light and creamy consistency. I can’t explain it, but I always get crazy shivers when I dip into something that is way too chunky… like mud, or, in this case, the spinach dip. Excellent texture and not overpowering in taste at all. Basically, give me anything edible and I’d happily dip it. Merci beaucoup.
For the entrée, I ordered the salmon, and it was probably one of the best salmon I have ever had! On top of it being a healthy portion of salmon fillet, it was also very tender and flavorful. I’m not sure what was in the dollop of creamy sauce that came with the salmon, but it gave the dish an extra kick. The sides of rice and fresh greens were simple, yet a perfect accompaniment to round out the dish. It was so memorable that for that week whenever I thought about fish, I immediately pictured the salmon from Café Du Jour.
SERVICE:
Patient and professional. Gave us enough space, but also came by to check up on us every now and then.
IMPRESSIONS:
I’m not sure I would categorize this place as French because it doesn’t serve traditional French cuisine. No matter, Du Jour is mi amour and deserves high praise. Definitely sit in the garden area if possible. There’s a water fountain/​pond and greenery everywhere. Enjoying fantastic food in the «secret garden» just makes the dining experience even more special.
*Cash only

I’ve been to Café du Jour a few times — always in the summer where you can sit on the adorable back patio. But last night was my first visit when it was too cold to sit outside.
Let me start off by saying that the food and the service here was terrific. But I’m giving this only three stars because it was unbearably smokey. It’s an open kitchen, which is normally great, but without the proper ventilation it felt like I had spent the night in a smokey casino. It actually ruined the meal.
I’ll be back, but only when I can sit outside.

WOW!
Went to dinner in Southside with some friends while visiting in Pittsburgh. My friend told me it was delicious, but honestly, the menu didn’t look that exciting to me. Café Du Jour is a small, intimate space with an open kitchen right in the front of the restaurant. (note: you will smell like food when you leave due to the open kitchen). They are also BYOB, and accommodated our 6-​pack and white wine with ice buckets.
My friends ordered the Spinach & Asiago dip. I hesitated to try but I am so glad I did. The basil in this dish really sets it apart! Note to self: When making spinach dip, add tons of basil! The Italian loaf that was served with it was crispy on the outside and very soft on the inside.
I had the mushroom soup, which was in a clear broth. I was expecting something more creamy, but nonetheless, it was still good! Since it is the Lenten Season, I ordered the Roasted Eggplant. It was good (not amazing), and also not too heavy. My date had the Roasted Salmon that came with fennel and rosemary. I think I liked his dish better than mine! The salmon was cooked beautifully with a perfect crisp on the outside. I highly recommend the salmon and Café Du Jour!

This place is super cute! During the nice summer days, my fiancé and I were looking for a nice place to catch a bite on the patio and after doing a search on Unilocal,Café Du Jour came up as one of our options. We read about it being cash only, went to the ATM and made a reservation.
We arrive and the seating area is tiny as others have pointed out. It was also really hot and didn’t seem to have A/​C and we found most people on the patio.
Entering the patio, we saw what everyone was raving out. It was gorgeous! It had a flower baskets, garden and a fountain. Inside the fountain, I spotted a little turtle! It was a majestic place to soak in the atmosphere, fine food… and we saw pretty much every table bring a bottle of wine as well (BYOB!).
I ordered the Salmon with Wild Rice, while my fiancé ordered the Eggplant dish which was served with some potatoes and a creamy flavorful sauce. Our food was delicious, the service great. Our bill came to around $ 50 for two people (we had an appetizer as well, but I forget what we ordered.). Lovely place for a nice date.